IBM and Inclusive Brains Launch Joint Study to Advance AI-Powered Brain-Machine Interfaces for Greater Accessibility and Inclusion
IBM has partnered with Inclusive Brains, a pioneer in non-invasive neurotechnologies and multimodal artificial intelligence, through a joint study agreement focused on exploring the application of cutting-edge AI and quantum machine learning. The collaboration seeks to enhance the performance of next-generation multimodal brain-machine interfaces (BMIs), with a strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity.
Driving Innovation for Social Good
Brain-machine interfaces hold immense promise for empowering individuals with disabilities—particularly those who have lost the use of their hands or speech—to engage with connected devices and digital platforms using only neural and physiological signals. By removing the dependency on voice commands or physical interactions such as keyboards, screens, or mice, BMIs can help users regain control over their environments.
Inclusive Brains is committed to leveraging the outcomes of this joint initiative to open doors to education and employment for underserved populations. The company envisions broader societal impact as well, including enhanced tools for the prevention and understanding of both mental and physical health issues, achieved through improved analysis and interpretation of brain activity data.
Enhancing Personalized Interfaces Through AI and Quantum Innovation
As part of the study, Inclusive Brains will refine its adaptive multimodal AI systems with the support of IBM’s advanced AI models and quantum capabilities. The goal is to deliver brain-machine interfaces that dynamically adjust in real time to each user’s specific abilities and needs, providing a higher level of autonomy and empowerment in both personal and professional contexts.
Key aspects of the collaboration include:
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Utilizing IBM’s Granite foundation models to automate code generation and review, followed by large-scale benchmarking of machine learning algorithm combinations to identify the most efficient classifiers for interpreting brain activity;
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Developing systems capable of automatically selecting the best-performing algorithms tailored to each individual, enabling the use of “mental commands”—non-verbal, non-physical interactions for controlling digital systems;
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Publishing open-access scientific research to share insights with the global scientific and public communities;
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Investigating quantum machine learning methods for more accurate and scalable brain activity classification.
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The research effort will remain grounded in ethical AI principles, ensuring responsible development and application of neurotechnology. The study will adhere to established best practices for the ethical use of neural data, in line with guidelines set forth in earlier publications.
“We are particularly proud to engage with innovative startups such as Inclusive Brains and to contribute to a technology that supports advancing healthcare for the benefit of the general population, by providing access to IBM’s AI and quantum technologies in a responsible manner,” said Béatrice Kosowski, President of IBM France.
“Our joint study with IBM will help Inclusive Brains develop technology for deeply personalized interactions between machines and their users. We’re transitioning from the era of generic interfaces to that of bespoke solutions, crafted to adapt to each individual’s unique physicality, cognitive diversity, and needs,” adds Professor Olivier Oullier, CEO & Co-Founder of Inclusive Brains, Chief AI Scientist and Chairman of the AI Institute at Biotech Dental Group, and Visiting Professor in the Department of Human-Computer Interaction at the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI).
